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The Friendly Four: A Coretta Scott King Award-Winning Picture Book in Verse About Friendship for Children
Celebrate friendship with Coretta Scott King Award winners Eloise Greenfield and Jan Spivey Gilchrist! Drum is worried that summer will be a bummer until Dorene, Louis, and Rae enter his life unexpectedly. Together they embark on an unforgettable summer of discovery and creative play. With free-verse poetry perfect for reading aloud and inspired illustrations, this picture book by the legendary author/illustrator team follows four children as they explore the bonds of friendship, family, and community. "Fun for reading aloud." — Booklist
48 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Eloise Greenfield
74 books54 followersGreenfield was born Eloise Little in Parmele, North Carolina, and grew up in Washington, D.C., during the Great Depression in the Langston Terrace housing project, which provided a warm childhood experience for her.[1] She was the second oldest of five children of Weston W. Little and his wife Lessie Blanche (née Jones) Little (1906–1986). A shy and studious child, she loved music and took piano lessons.[2][3] Greenfield experienced racism first-hand in the segregated southern U.S., especially when she visited her grandparents in North Carolina and Virginia.[4] She graduated from Cardozo Senior High School in 1946 and attended Miner Teachers College until 1949. In her third year, however, she found that she was too shy to be a teacher and dropped out.[5]
Greenfield began work in the civil service at the U.S. Patent Office. In 1950, she married World War II veteran Robert J. Greenfield, a long-time friend. She began writing poetry and songs in the 1950s while working at the Patent Office, finally succeeding in getting her first poem published in the Hartford Times in 1962 after many years of writing and submitting poetry and stories.[6] After joining the District of Columbia Black Writers Workshop in 1971, she began to write books for children. She has published more than 40 children's books, including picture books, novels, poetry and biographies. She says that she seeks to "choose and order words that children will celebrate".[5][7]
Dismayed by the depiction of blacks and black communities in popular media, Greenfield has focused her work on realistic but positive portrayals of African-American communities, families and friendships.[1] These relationships are emphasized in Sister (1974) a young girl copes with the death of a parent with the help of other family members, Me and Nessie (1975) about best friends, My Daddy and I (1991) and Big Friend, Little Friend (1991) about mentoring.[5] Her first book, Bubbles (1972), "sets the tone for much of Greenfield's later work: Realistic portrayals of loving African American parents working hard to provide for their families, and the children who face life's challenges with a positive outlook."[1] In She Come Bringing Me that Little Baby Girl (1974), a boy deals with feelings of envy and learns to share his parents' love when his baby sister arrives. The poignant Alesia (1981) concerns the bravery of a girl handicapped by a childhood accident. Night on Neighborhood Street (1991) is a collection of poems depicting everyday life in an urban community. One of her best-known books, Honey I Love, first published in 1978, is a collection of poems for people of all ages concerning the daily lives and loving relationships of children and families. Her semi-autobiographical book Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir (1979) describes her happy childhood in a neighborhood with strong positive relationships.[5] In the introduction to that book, she explains her interest in biography:
People are a part of their time. They are affected, during the time that they live by the things that happen in their world. Big things and small things. A war, an invention such as radio or television, a birthday party, a kiss. All of these help to shape the present and the future. If we could know more about our ancestors, about the experiences they had when they were children, and after they had grown up, too, we would know much more about what has shaped us and our world.[8]
In 1971, Greenfield began work for the District of Columbia Black Writers' Workshop, as co-director of adult fiction and then, in 1973, as director of children's literature. That group's goal was to encourage the writing and publishing of African-American literature. She was writer-in-residence at the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 1985-86 and taught creative writing in schools under grants from the Commission. She has also lectured and given free workshops on writing of African-American children's
Greenfield began work in the civil service at the U.S. Patent Office. In 1950, she married World War II veteran Robert J. Greenfield, a long-time friend. She began writing poetry and songs in the 1950s while working at the Patent Office, finally succeeding in getting her first poem published in the Hartford Times in 1962 after many years of writing and submitting poetry and stories.[6] After joining the District of Columbia Black Writers Workshop in 1971, she began to write books for children. She has published more than 40 children's books, including picture books, novels, poetry and biographies. She says that she seeks to "choose and order words that children will celebrate".[5][7]
Dismayed by the depiction of blacks and black communities in popular media, Greenfield has focused her work on realistic but positive portrayals of African-American communities, families and friendships.[1] These relationships are emphasized in Sister (1974) a young girl copes with the death of a parent with the help of other family members, Me and Nessie (1975) about best friends, My Daddy and I (1991) and Big Friend, Little Friend (1991) about mentoring.[5] Her first book, Bubbles (1972), "sets the tone for much of Greenfield's later work: Realistic portrayals of loving African American parents working hard to provide for their families, and the children who face life's challenges with a positive outlook."[1] In She Come Bringing Me that Little Baby Girl (1974), a boy deals with feelings of envy and learns to share his parents' love when his baby sister arrives. The poignant Alesia (1981) concerns the bravery of a girl handicapped by a childhood accident. Night on Neighborhood Street (1991) is a collection of poems depicting everyday life in an urban community. One of her best-known books, Honey I Love, first published in 1978, is a collection of poems for people of all ages concerning the daily lives and loving relationships of children and families. Her semi-autobiographical book Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir (1979) describes her happy childhood in a neighborhood with strong positive relationships.[5] In the introduction to that book, she explains her interest in biography:
People are a part of their time. They are affected, during the time that they live by the things that happen in their world. Big things and small things. A war, an invention such as radio or television, a birthday party, a kiss. All of these help to shape the present and the future. If we could know more about our ancestors, about the experiences they had when they were children, and after they had grown up, too, we would know much more about what has shaped us and our world.[8]
In 1971, Greenfield began work for the District of Columbia Black Writers' Workshop, as co-director of adult fiction and then, in 1973, as director of children's literature. That group's goal was to encourage the writing and publishing of African-American literature. She was writer-in-residence at the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 1985-86 and taught creative writing in schools under grants from the Commission. She has also lectured and given free workshops on writing of African-American children's
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 31, 2022
From the moment I picked it up, I fell in love with The Friendly Four by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist.
The Friendly Four is a story in verse with multiple voices. In the beginning, there's just Drummond "Drum" Anthony Liggins. Drum's summer starts off as a major bore. All of his friends are out of town, and he's stuck in a loop of "after the baby..., we can go out and play" from the adults in his life.
Every kid has definitely been there. But then, new neighbors move in, and they have a girl who's just his age! Drum and Dorene are fast friends. I've always marveled at the way kids from about four or five to nine or ten can just meet any random kid around that age and become immediate best friends, even when it's only for a few hours (although the friendships in this book last much longer).
Soon, Drum and Dorene are joined by Louis, a new foster or adopted son of a neighbor, and then by Rae, Dorene's cousin whose mother is in the hospital. I love the inclusion of Louis and especially Rae's stories, because it shows how multifaceted kids' lives are, and how different families can be. Rae is upset about being away from her mother at first, but she soon warms up to Dorene and her friends, and they declare themselves the Friendly Four.
After this, the next few poems are filled with back and forth of imaginative play. They tell tall tales and create the town of Goodsummer out of cardboard and paint. The word "pretend" is never used, and instead, the Friendly Four are at the bank, at school, and at the office in Goodsummer (to name a few poem titles), and each poem becomes a script. This text feature would be a great way for kids to practice group or partner reading. These poems are supported by beautiful illustrations featuring pets, costumes, and all manners of toys.
I have not found a lot of books that feature and appreciate imaginative play and its role in the lives of young kids. Every day, I see the kindergarteners and first graders I work with navigating the roles of family life, cooking, building, making music, and all other manners of mimicking adult life through their play. It's so interesting to see how they work out arguments and create their own world on the playground, and I am so happy to see a book that replicates what imaginative play really means for young kids.
Something I love to see in the books I read personally (as opposed to children's books) is great characters and character development, and this is one of the first picture books I've read where I can definitely see that across multiple characters. I especially like Rae's changes and the way she is able to think about family before and after her summer with Drum, Dorene, and Louis.
In terms of representation, this book comes at it from a few different angles. All the characters are black and living in a (seemingly) predominantly black neighborhood, but it doesn't have a lot to do with race, other than the illustrations and the own voices black author and illustrator. They're just kids being kids, and I love it. It's a key example of the incidental representation I love to see. On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, they do have diverse family structures that are somewhat incidental to the plot, but important to their identities nonetheless. I think this book offers a lot of areas that many different kids from around the ages of 4-9 can connect with and see in themselves, as well as appreciate in the story and in the world in general.
In case you can't tell, I really love this one, and am definitely looking to add this one to my collection in the near future.
The Friendly Four is a story in verse with multiple voices. In the beginning, there's just Drummond "Drum" Anthony Liggins. Drum's summer starts off as a major bore. All of his friends are out of town, and he's stuck in a loop of "after the baby..., we can go out and play" from the adults in his life.
I count my footsteps
from the porch to the gate,
and I wait.
Wait for fun to find me
in my big back yard.
Every kid has definitely been there. But then, new neighbors move in, and they have a girl who's just his age! Drum and Dorene are fast friends. I've always marveled at the way kids from about four or five to nine or ten can just meet any random kid around that age and become immediate best friends, even when it's only for a few hours (although the friendships in this book last much longer).
Soon, Drum and Dorene are joined by Louis, a new foster or adopted son of a neighbor, and then by Rae, Dorene's cousin whose mother is in the hospital. I love the inclusion of Louis and especially Rae's stories, because it shows how multifaceted kids' lives are, and how different families can be. Rae is upset about being away from her mother at first, but she soon warms up to Dorene and her friends, and they declare themselves the Friendly Four.
After this, the next few poems are filled with back and forth of imaginative play. They tell tall tales and create the town of Goodsummer out of cardboard and paint. The word "pretend" is never used, and instead, the Friendly Four are at the bank, at school, and at the office in Goodsummer (to name a few poem titles), and each poem becomes a script. This text feature would be a great way for kids to practice group or partner reading. These poems are supported by beautiful illustrations featuring pets, costumes, and all manners of toys.
I have not found a lot of books that feature and appreciate imaginative play and its role in the lives of young kids. Every day, I see the kindergarteners and first graders I work with navigating the roles of family life, cooking, building, making music, and all other manners of mimicking adult life through their play. It's so interesting to see how they work out arguments and create their own world on the playground, and I am so happy to see a book that replicates what imaginative play really means for young kids.
Something I love to see in the books I read personally (as opposed to children's books) is great characters and character development, and this is one of the first picture books I've read where I can definitely see that across multiple characters. I especially like Rae's changes and the way she is able to think about family before and after her summer with Drum, Dorene, and Louis.
In terms of representation, this book comes at it from a few different angles. All the characters are black and living in a (seemingly) predominantly black neighborhood, but it doesn't have a lot to do with race, other than the illustrations and the own voices black author and illustrator. They're just kids being kids, and I love it. It's a key example of the incidental representation I love to see. On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, they do have diverse family structures that are somewhat incidental to the plot, but important to their identities nonetheless. I think this book offers a lot of areas that many different kids from around the ages of 4-9 can connect with and see in themselves, as well as appreciate in the story and in the world in general.
In case you can't tell, I really love this one, and am definitely looking to add this one to my collection in the near future.
October 10, 2025
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A fun story about four friends coming together for one epic summer. I really enjoyed this picture book in verse.
Drum can't wait for summer to be over so he can see his friends at school. But when a new family moves into his neighborhood, his summer gets more fun. As the summer progresses, more friends come together to form the Friendly Four. Join the adventures of Drum, Dorene, Louis, and Rae as they make the summer their own.
Such a sweet story. I really enjoyed coming along on the children's adventures, racing, telling stories, and making their own town.
Loved the different colors of text to represent different characters. Works great for taking turns reading aloud or setting up as a play.
The artwork is great. Perfectly captures the imagination and fun of the Friendly Four.
A wonderful story. Fun summertime read.
A fun story about four friends coming together for one epic summer. I really enjoyed this picture book in verse.
Drum can't wait for summer to be over so he can see his friends at school. But when a new family moves into his neighborhood, his summer gets more fun. As the summer progresses, more friends come together to form the Friendly Four. Join the adventures of Drum, Dorene, Louis, and Rae as they make the summer their own.
Such a sweet story. I really enjoyed coming along on the children's adventures, racing, telling stories, and making their own town.
Loved the different colors of text to represent different characters. Works great for taking turns reading aloud or setting up as a play.
The artwork is great. Perfectly captures the imagination and fun of the Friendly Four.
A wonderful story. Fun summertime read.
October 30, 2022
I have not found a lot of books that feature and appreciate imaginative play and its role in the lives of young kids. Every day, I see the kindergarteners and first graders I work with navigating the roles of family life, cooking, building, making music, and all other manners of mimicking adult life through their play. It's so interesting to see how they work out arguments and create their own world on the playground, and I am so happy to see a book that replicates what imaginative play really means for young kids.
Something I love to see in the books I read personally (as opposed to children's books) is great characters and character development, and this is one of the first picture books I've read where I can definitely see that across multiple characters. I especially like Rae's changes and the way she is able to think about family before and after her summer with Drum, Dorene, and Louis.
In terms of representation, this book comes at it from a few different angles. All the characters are black and living in a (seemingly) predominantly black neighborhood, but it doesn't have a lot to do with race, other than the illustrations and the own voices black author and illustrator. They're just kids being kids, and I love it. It's a key example of the incidental representation I love to see. On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, they do have diverse family structures that are somewhat incidental to the plot, but important to their identities nonetheless. I think this book offers a lot of areas that many different kids from around the ages of 4-9 can connect with and see in themselves, as well as appreciate in the story and in the world in general.
In case you can't tell, I really love this one, and am definitely looking to add this one to my collection in the near future.
Read my full review on my Goodreads account for children's books
Something I love to see in the books I read personally (as opposed to children's books) is great characters and character development, and this is one of the first picture books I've read where I can definitely see that across multiple characters. I especially like Rae's changes and the way she is able to think about family before and after her summer with Drum, Dorene, and Louis.
In terms of representation, this book comes at it from a few different angles. All the characters are black and living in a (seemingly) predominantly black neighborhood, but it doesn't have a lot to do with race, other than the illustrations and the own voices black author and illustrator. They're just kids being kids, and I love it. It's a key example of the incidental representation I love to see. On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, they do have diverse family structures that are somewhat incidental to the plot, but important to their identities nonetheless. I think this book offers a lot of areas that many different kids from around the ages of 4-9 can connect with and see in themselves, as well as appreciate in the story and in the world in general.
In case you can't tell, I really love this one, and am definitely looking to add this one to my collection in the near future.
Read my full review on my Goodreads account for children's books
April 17, 2007
If you are an elementary school teacher, this book is a must for your room. Not only does this book deal with issues that children face (moving to a new neighborhood, a sick parent, younger siblings, etc) but it also doubles as a fabulous tool for introducing the basics of drama (book is written like a script/play), poetry, personification, alliteration, etc. As a result, this book is also good for the upper elementary grades if children struggle with learning such concepts or have difficulty reading (the script like style is great for choral reading or small groups).
August 31, 2021
Just discovered this pioneering children’s book author and poet whose works feature African American characters. (She lived in DC and died recently.) Love these successive poems that tell the story of four young kids who become fast friends over a summer.
June 11, 2022
Oh my goodness. Utterly charming. A 'novel in verse' the I recommend for all kids age 5-7, and for their families, too. What power in a few pages of easy vocabulary words.
free to read online at openlibrary.org
free to read online at openlibrary.org
October 11, 2017
written in play form....
October 24, 2021
I didn’t know what to expect, but i enjoyed the children’s stories, the poems, and *especially* the one by the six-year-old about his new mother.
March 5, 2025
A great concept book; perfect for introducing poetry and shared reading concepts. Lots of imagery and subtle emotion.
May 1, 2015
Fun summer time reading for children in Elementary schools.
Poetry/chapter book
What a fun summer book with a multi-culutural slant.
This book starts out with a little boy name Drunmond who is very sad because he is lonely. Well he certainly does not stay lonely long with a lively introduction of his new friends. The story is a continue poem in each chapter which should be great as an introduction for beginers. The story line is very realistic that includes the diverse backgound of each friend. I like how they were able to do things together and they were sensitive to each other's feelings. A great classroom project could include drawings of each student's family and friends and their neighborhood.
Poetry/chapter book
What a fun summer book with a multi-culutural slant.
This book starts out with a little boy name Drunmond who is very sad because he is lonely. Well he certainly does not stay lonely long with a lively introduction of his new friends. The story is a continue poem in each chapter which should be great as an introduction for beginers. The story line is very realistic that includes the diverse backgound of each friend. I like how they were able to do things together and they were sensitive to each other's feelings. A great classroom project could include drawings of each student's family and friends and their neighborhood.
November 27, 2012
Over the course of one summer, four new friends share adventures. As each friend is met and enters the story, they join the poetic verse. Each character's lines are in a different color, with the group chorus in black. Would be great to assign parts to different readers in the class....4N6 group interp?
July 31, 2014
Part poetry, part play. A summer is spent making friends and sharing adventures. As back-to-school season rolls around, the friends must part, but they try their best to keep each other in the loop as they wait for next summer to begin.
A fun read aloud featuring watercolor artwork depicting African American children at play. Grades 2-4.
A fun read aloud featuring watercolor artwork depicting African American children at play. Grades 2-4.
May 31, 2008
I read "Playground" on page 25. It requires four people to read. There are also fun, gesture drawings. The poem is about fun and happy activities such as running, sliding, and swinging. It is easy to read and the colored text helps to know who reads what.
April 29, 2013
Good poetry book that involves four people to read each poem. Poems are about the summer and different activities kids partake in. I would recommend it for older elementary students and middle school students.
Read
March 11, 2009poetry for multiple voices- children
April 27, 2010
Four friends explore the bonds of firnedship, family, and community.
May 1, 2013
The friendly Four was a great read. I enjoyed the dialogue and poetry throughout the book. U think this would be a great morning meeting book, and a great classroom library book.
March 25, 2015
3.5 Stars This would be a really good readers theater! I like all the parts and the friends! Cute book about friends!
July 27, 2011
Good for grades 2-4
Some difficult words for L2 English
Some difficult words for L2 English
April 14, 2017
Eloise Greenfield’s The Friendly Four is a collection of 34 poems for children that work together to tell the one story of the summertime adventures of four children--Drummond, Dorene, Louis, and Rae. These children each face common struggles like being overshadowed by a baby sibling, moving to a new place, being adopted, or coping with a seriously ill parent. Over the course of one summer, these young friends learn to depend on each other and inspire one another through play and imagination.
The language of The Friendly Four is fairly straightforward to make it easily understandable for children in preschool to third grade. The text does include some simple similes and metaphors like “... churning/our legs like bicycle wheels” in the poem “The Race” and “Every day away from her/would be a thousand years” in “Going to Get Rae.” Teachers and librarians can find examples to illustrate almost any poetic device, but as a collection, the poems read more like everyday childhood conversation, making the book approachable for early readers.
The same could also be said for Greenfield’s use of sound devices in The Friendly Four. Sound devices like repetition, rhyme, and alliteration help establish a distinct rhythm at times, the patterns of everyday speech are the driving factor. Repetition and alliteration such as “likes to wrestle/likes to run/likes to count” are sprinkled in just enough to break up the conversational pattern to remind readers that they are indeed reading poetry.
The most distinctive trait of Greenfield’s poetry is the features included to structure these poems for performance. The lines spoken by each of the four children is marked by four different colors, and only lines to be read in multiple voices together are printed in black. Speakers are indicated like they would be in a script, so this book is ready to pick up and start practicing for performance without any additional markup to the text.
The language of The Friendly Four is fairly straightforward to make it easily understandable for children in preschool to third grade. The text does include some simple similes and metaphors like “... churning/our legs like bicycle wheels” in the poem “The Race” and “Every day away from her/would be a thousand years” in “Going to Get Rae.” Teachers and librarians can find examples to illustrate almost any poetic device, but as a collection, the poems read more like everyday childhood conversation, making the book approachable for early readers.
The same could also be said for Greenfield’s use of sound devices in The Friendly Four. Sound devices like repetition, rhyme, and alliteration help establish a distinct rhythm at times, the patterns of everyday speech are the driving factor. Repetition and alliteration such as “likes to wrestle/likes to run/likes to count” are sprinkled in just enough to break up the conversational pattern to remind readers that they are indeed reading poetry.
The most distinctive trait of Greenfield’s poetry is the features included to structure these poems for performance. The lines spoken by each of the four children is marked by four different colors, and only lines to be read in multiple voices together are printed in black. Speakers are indicated like they would be in a script, so this book is ready to pick up and start practicing for performance without any additional markup to the text.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews